Michael Sam: Lobbyist needs time machine

Gay NFL draft prospect Michael Sam is brushing off a proposed bill being floated by a D.C. lobbyist that would ban gay players from the league as “bogus,” joking that it’ll take more than legislation to accomplish his goal.

“Jack Burkman is going to need a DeLorean, not some bogus bill, if he wants to prevent gay athletes from being in the locker room,” Sam tweeted on Tuesday.

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Sam was reacting to news Monday that lobbyist Jack Burkman was preparing legislation to ban gay NFL players. Burkman’s efforts were circulated to the media Monday in a release that claimed he had “amassed the political support” for the bill, though no lawmakers behind the bill were named.

The release named Sam as the impetus for the bill. The former college football standout recently came out publicly as gay, setting the stage for him to become the first openly gay professional football player if he is drafted this spring. He has been forecast as a mid-round pick.

“If the NFL has no morals and no values, then Congress must find values for it,” Burkman said in the statement.

CORRECTION: DeLorean, the name of a 1980s vehicle that shows up in the "Back to the Future" movies, was spelled wrong in an earlier version of this article.